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by ThiefofSong
Summary: When Maeva Hadlock turned eleven years old, she could have never imagined that what she begged for as her gift would get her landed in a world of pain. After meeting a strange girl and an annoying git of a red-head at Flourish and Blotts, she comes to realize that the upcoming school years that she'd been awaiting for a long while may not be all that they're cracked up to be.
1. Chapter 1 - First Impressions

The air was warm the day of Maeva Lee Hadlock's birthday.

Too warm, if you asked her, but that didn't damper the eleven year old's mood any. She was still hopping on the balls of her feet, a feeling of pure, unadulterated happiness making her smile as wide as she possibly could. Today was her birthday, yes, and that was a very special thing indeed, for she was a magical being.

She was a witch.

What was so exciting about turning eleven when you were a young witch, you might ask? Well, for Maeva, it meant the start of something new, something amazing, something _wonderful_. She would be starting her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she would learn to - obviously - control the magic she'd been born with. Her mother and father had attended the school before her, and their parents before them, and theirs before them, and so on. It was something Maeva had been looking forward to for quite sometime, and she was more thaShe in their footsteps.

When her father had asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she had been unsure at first. What _did_ she want? She hadn't gotten a broom yet - her very own, anyway - and that had been something she'd been wanting. Maybe she could say that…

When the confirmation letter from the school had come, however, she had changed her mind.

"I want my school supplies to be my gifts." She had declared, grinning up at her father, who had looked rather befuddled.

"Your supplies?" He'd echoed, raising a brow at her.

"Yes. My supplies. At first I thought a broom, my _own_ broom, would be a good gift, but I think my supplies would be a better idea. _And_ my own owl, because Sani doesn't like me much and I don't want to take him along." Everything came out in one big rush, making it so that she had to suck in a giant breath when she was done.

"Well…" He murmured, chuckling softly, "If that's what you want, than that's what we'll do."

And that was how they had ended up at Eelyops Owl Emporium, with Maeva herself looking with wonder at the different species of bird and her father speaking with the shop owner about why they were there. Their conversation about the wand that'd chosen her not long before they'd come to the shop - 12 ¾" in length aspen wood with a dragon heartstring core and supple flexibility - had faded into the background while she was looking. She'd been excited to receive it - she saw it as being one step closer to being a full-fledged witch - but now, surrounded by so many owls, Maeva found herself being sucked in by it all, forgetting all that'd she'd felt moments before. There were a wide variety around her, that was for sure; screech, burrowing, barn, snowy… All of them were beautiful, and she found it difficult to choose a favorite. However, as Maeva's eyes scanned the rows scanned the rows of cages, they fell on one owl in particular.

It was white - though not as pure a white as the snowy owls were, it seemed - with light brown striping upon its head. Framing its nearly black dark brown eyes were rims of a similar darker brown hue, reminding her faintly of the glasses her father sometimes wore. It was watching her through slightly narrowed eyes, and Maeva found that she was grinning without though she at first didn't realize it. She approached the cage and watched the owl for quite some time before footsteps from behind her made her turn.

"I see young Elomyr here's caught yer eye!" The shop manager, who Maeva thought was named that started with a B, said, a wide and toothy smile on his bearded face. Though they came to the shop often and the owner was an old friend of her father's, she could never quite remember his name. "He's a fine bird, he is. A little on the small side, though; he ain't fully grown yet, just like yer tiny self."

"I'd prefer her to stay this size forever, truthfully." Her father muttered. "Much easier to worry about her while she's in the house than when she's at school getting up to Merlin knows what kind of trouble."

This earned an angry look from the little brunette and a hearty laugh for the shop owner.

"I will _not_ be getting into any sort of trouble!" She spat, sounding all the part of a small, petulant child.

Quick to defuse any tension between the two, the shop owner leaned forward, glancing between the two with concerned eyes. "So, Arius, Maeva," He began, waggling his bushy brows in an attempt at humor, "Is this the owl fer you?"

His attempt worked, for Arius rolled his eyes in exasperation and Maeva giggled.

"If he's the one she wants, I've no issue with it. He has no nipping problems or anything like that, yes?" Her father asked, with the man shaking his head.

"None that I've seen thus far. He's a well-behaved little bugger; I'll be sad to see him go, but happy that he's goin' to someone who'll take good care of him."

"Then…?" Arius trailed off, looking squarely at Maeva. She nodded vigorously, though she said nothing; the excited feeling bubbling up within her was so strong she was afraid she'd do something stupid like scream her agreement if she spoke.

"Alright then!" The man said, his own excitement gleaming in eyes. "Normally my White Barreds go fer 15 galleons, but what with you and yer daughter being long-time friends and customers, I feel a deal's in order. How's about 10 galleons?"

"That sounds like a fine deal, Bulstrode. Can I ask a favor of you, though?" Arius asked.

"'Course you can! Anything fer an old pal."

"We've got to go and get some other things - books and the like - so could you just keep him here until we're through? It'd be less stressful for him."

Bulstrode nodded his bearded head in agreement. "Yes, yes, you may. I wouldn't want the poor bloke gettin' too spooked his first day with you."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Bulstrode!" Maeva said, causing him to blush a tad and pretend to shoo her away.

"Yer much too kind, girl. Now go on, get yer things; he'll be here when ye return."

Her father also thanked the man, and then they were off. Several other families of various magical backgrounds - you could tell by how they dressed - swept past them in droves, and Maeva felt a sliver of fear enter her mind. She disliked large crowds, but, she supposed, she'd have to get used to it once she got to Hogwarts. Her father wouldn't be there to hold her hand forever.

Deciding to take a little initiative - though hating herself a little for it, in all honesty - she grabbed her father's sleeve, causing him to halt.

"Can… Can I go to Flourish and Blotts on my own? I want to try doing something for myself for a change, and it'd make the time 'til we have to go and get Elomyr shorter." She sounded a little sheepish, and she cursed herself for that - her father, being the overprotective man he was, would catch on and probably say no.

To her surprise, however, he simply chuckled a little and, perhaps looking a little sad, replied, "I guess, if you really want. Are you sure you'll be alright though? I know how you are…"

Stunned by his allowance, she hardly managed to stutter out, "Y-yes! I have to get used to stuff like this, don't I?"

"I suppose so. Be careful though, please! You're my favorite daughter and I don't want to hear that you got hurt." He ruffled her dark brunette hair, causing her to look rather annoyed.

" _Please_ , dad. I'm you're only daughter; I've gotta be your favorite. I'll meet you outside Flourish and Blott's when I'm done, okay?" Maeva took the small pouch of money her father offered her, and when he nodded silently, she grinned excitedly and took off down the alley.

As she went, she would never know of the growing feeling of emptiness opening up within Belarius Hadlock's chest. She wasn't dying, not like Arianna had, but the idea that his daughter would be out of his care and in a place where he couldn't guarantee her safety was terrifying all the same.

Outside the book shop, witches and wizards of all ages seemed to be waiting for a companion to come back out. A lot of them appeared to be older schoolaged kids, possibly waiting for their parents to buy their books or some for a younger sibling. Maeva cringed inwardly. She _would_ have chosen to do this on one of Flourish and Blott's busiest days.

Steeling her resolve, she made her way past them, feeling small and insignificant next to the taller adults and kids. Opening the door, she realized it wasn't as bad on the inside; there were a lot less people there. As always, the amount of books amazed her, and she felt an itch to browse the magical creatures section; it was her favorite subject, after all.

Luckily enough, Newt Scamander's _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ was on her list, and she smiled to herself. This was a book she would _definitely_ like. She had wanted to read it before going to school but figured she should just wait until than to do so.

There was a display of them out in front of the section. It wasn't a large book by any means, but she could pick out the green of its cover anywhere. Picking it up was easy enough, and Maeva found herself smiling yet again. _I can do this_ , she thought, looking down at the piece of paper containing her list and not watching where she was going. _It isn't that ba-_

She slammed into another body, and, not being that large, the force of it sent her tumbling backwards off her feet - right into the display of _Fantastic Beasts_ books. Towers of them fell, sending them crashing to the ground. All the while, loud peals of laughter rang out somewhere above her, and Maeva became incredibly irritated. How could someone just _laugh_ when they'd run into someone and caused them to fall down as she had?

She lifted her head and squinted at the boy - for it was indeed a boy who she had run into. He was tall - certainly taller than she was, though that wasn't hard to achieve - and hair that was possibly the reddest she had ever seen. He was doubled over, holding his stomach, laughing and laughing and laughing at her fall, not bothering to see if she was okay or anything. Just laughing.

Thankfully, a hand hesitantly touched Maeva's shoulder, and the dark haired brunette turned her head to see another redhead. She nearly grimaced before realizing the girl's hair was a much darker and richer shade and that she looked nothing like the boy. Not related, maybe? Merlin, she hoped so.

"Are you uh… okay?" The girl asked, drawing her hand away as soon as she saw Maeva's face turn toward hers.

"Yeah, I think so. Just a little mad at that _git_ ," She waved a hand carelessly in the boy's direction, "over there. Got jabbed by some corners, but I'm good."

"Y-you're sure?" The girl replied, offering her hand hesitantly. Maeva took it, and a few seconds later she was upright again, dusting off her clothes.

"Mhm. Thanks for your help; clearly he wasn't gonna give me any. What's your name?"

"Isabelle." She answered quickly. Her gaze kept darting toward the other side of the shop. "I, um, have to go; I only stayed because I saw you get hurt, but my Grams and dad… They're gonna be waiting for me." She stood there quite awkwardly for a moment, averting her eyes and looking anywhere _but_ at Maeva. Tucking a strand of hair behind her left ear, she offered a small - _very_ small - smile before hurrying away. At the counter, she joined a man who looked to be her own father's age - who looked pretty out of place himself in muggle clothing, just as Isabelle did - and a woman who looked quite old. Her Grams, probably.

 _The day keeps getting weirder and weirder… First this stupid boy, and then a girl who helps me only to run away right after._ Without realizing it, she rolled her eyes. _I'll think about her more later, though. First, I've got to deal with him._

Turning to the boy - who had finally stopped laughing, thank Merlin - she fixed him with the meanest scowl she could muster. Admittedly, it wasn't that scary; she wasn't that big, and her cheeks were kind of chipmunky. Not exactly the _best_ thing to use against someone you hated, but hey, Maeva would use what she had.

"You're very rude, you know that?" She spat, jabbing a finger in his direction.

"Me, rude? You wound me, miss." He said dramatically, laying a hand over his heart.

 _That cheeky git!_ She thought angrily, taking a step forward. By now, she was surprised the shop owner hadn't come to see what was going on; it'd been a bit now, and the noise had been loud. No matter; the more time she had to be angry at him, the better.

"You knocked me down and didn't even say sorry! You didn't offer to help me up, either! In fact, all you did was _laugh_!" Maeva retorted. "Didn't you think that I could've been hurt? Why didn't you help me, or get help?"

He paused in his amusement, his blue eyes becoming troubled. "I thought it was funny. I didn't stop to think that a bad thing could have happened."

She snorted. "Yeah, _that's_ the entire problem, isn't i-"

"George, where'd you go off to?" A voice called, a hint of worry laced in it's otherwise warm tone. "I thought I told you to - _GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"_

The boy - whose name was decidedly George - blanched at the use of his full name.

"Merlin spare me," He muttered under his breath, turning to face the angry figure coming toward them.

"I was looking away for _how_ long to try and find that shop keeper and you go and do this?" The woman, who was a little on the heavy side and as red haired as her son, asked. Her expression was one of pure exasperation and anger.

"It wasn't even _my fault_ , mum, let me expla-" George tried to say, which Maeva interrupted with a sharp snort.

"Not your fault? You ran into me and I fell into those books!" She snapped, pointing at the pile that was now in great disarray. Muttering what Maeva was sure were unkind words, the older witch pulled out her wand and waved it a few times. In the span of a few heartbeats, the books were back in perfect order.

"Is that true?" She asked, an edge of warning clear within her words.

"Mum, I didn't _mean_ to do it! I wouldn't ever -"

"You were probably trying to prank the poor thing," his mother practically growled. Turning to Maeva, she smiled as warmly as she could, adding, "Hello, dear. I'm Molly Weasley. I'm sorry about all that; my _son_ is a little bit of a prankster, as I just said. I do apologize for any harm he's caused you. Who might you be?"

Smiling a little herself - the lady was rather nice if you weren't on her bad side, it appeared - Maeva replied, "I'm Belarius Hadlock's daughter, Maeva."

Molly's eyes widened some. "I thought you looked a tad like someone I use to know, but I wasn't sure… Arius and Ari's daughter, hm? I knew the both of them before…" She trailed off, unsure of how to proceed, before adding, "I wasn't sure what had happened to poor Arius after the war. He dropped off the face of the planet with you, it seemed. You were so little then! I remember Ari bringing you over…"

"Mum, you're rambling." George said matter-of-factly.

"And you're getting on my last nerve. You and your brother both." Molly retorted, glaring at him. Looking back to Maeva, she added, "Anyway, dear, point is that I'm sure Arthur would enjoy seeing your father again. When you're done here, what do you say to getting Arius and bringing him to lunch?"

Maeva paused for a moment, sending a thinly veiled look of disdain his way. While she didn't want to spend anymore time with the boy than she really had to, she wondered if it'd be a good thing for her dad to do. He didn't do much of anything except stay with her at the house or go out to get what they needed. Their family had plenty of money, so he always said that "working wasn't important to him; she was," but Maeva got the feeling there was more to it than that, just not exactly what _it_ was. He'd made his life all about her; protecting her, making sure she was okay, trying to fill the shoes that'd been empty since her mother's death had occurred… Maybe he thought he'd lose her, too?

Perhaps it was what he needed to get him back into the wizarding world and out of the do-anything-and-everything-for-Maeva one.

"Okay," She conceded, nodding once. "It sounds good; I think he'd like seeing an old friend, too."

"Lovely! How does Florean Fortescue's sound?" Molly suggested, immediately making Maeva's mouth water. That place had the _best_ ice cream she'd ever had!

"Great! We'll see you there!" She responded with as much enthusiasm as she could; while she was excited for the ice cream and to see someone from her father's past, she still wasn't looking forward to whatever shenanigans she was sure were going to happen.

After she said goodbye to Molly - and said not so much as a word to George - Maeva came to find out exactly _why_ it was that no help had come when she'd fallen. The owner had left, leaving a single employee in charge, so he could go and get lunch. He'd returned while she'd been waiting for someone to actually _sell_ her stack of books to her, looking incredibly irritated to find his employee gone. According to the owner, the girl who was _supposed to have been_ working the counter had opted to take a nap in the back instead. He apologized profusely, even going as far as to give her a small discount on her books, though she assured him that it was okay and that it wasn't his fault.

As she left, the man - who she later learned was a very distant descendant of the store's founder and was named Wynnstan Flourish - wished her well for the new school year, and she thanked him. While she hoped that it would be a good year, she had her doubts.

And all of them had to do with George.


	2. Chapter 2 - Prank Letters and Toads

"I, um, have to go; I only stayed because I saw you get hurt, but my Grams and dad… They're gonna be waiting for me." Isabelle muttered softly to the girl in front of her, keeping her gaze to the floor. However, thinking she might have seemed a little rude, she offered the girl a small smile before scurrying away to where her father and grandmother stood at the front desk.

It had been quite an interesting day, that event included. In such a short time she had been swept up from her normal life into that of a ... Witch. The term still seemed to leave a strange taste in her mouth. Witch. Never would she have imagined that she, Isabelle Reeves - who was repeatedly mocked for being weird at normal public school because of the unnatural events that seemed to only occur around her - would be in a situation such as this. It had all started with the arrival of a simple letter, stamped closed with a wax seal.

* * *

 _It had arrived in the mail for her earlier the same day that she helped the girl. It confused the little eleven year old that it was she and not her father that was the one getting the letter. She'd often asked why she never got mail like he did, and the simple answer was that she was young, and young people like her didn't normally get mail. Grasping the letter in her hands, the rest of the faded red mailbox's forgotten, she whirled around and sprinted back into the house, nearly tripping over her own feet to get to her father, who was sitting at his desk with coffee mug in hand._

" _Daddy, look! It's for me!" She chirped, holding up the slightly crinkled letter in its envelope. He gave a light chuckle and a small smile before taking the letter away from her, careful not to rip the strange parchment._

 _However, his smile quickly faded away, and a puzzled look took its place. A few moments later, he gave a short chuckle and rolled his eyes._

" _Izzy, dear, it's just a prank letter." He rubbed the girl's head, "I'm sure you'll get another letter soon, though, maybe." He reassured her. "You know how your Grams likes to send you things; it'll probably be from her."_

Isabelle just let out a small 'oh' of disappointment before running back to the living room to watch more television. She was resigned to the fact that her father was probably right; it had probably been one of the stupid gits from her school. It wouldn't have surprised her any.

 _However, another letter did come for her, and it was the exact same letter; cream-colored paper with a red wax seal. It was this second letter that prompted her father to invite Marin, Isabelle's Grandmother, over to the house to discuss it._

" _Izzy got a letter in the mail, and it's rather strange. At first, I only thought it was a prank letter, so I tore it up... But another one came in the mail today." He paused, holding it up for the grandmother to see. She seemed to grow eerily quiet. "The address says it's from somewhere called Hogwarts, but I've never heard of such a place around these parts... I wonder if it has anything to do with Lucy..." The father sighed, memories of the copper-haired woman flooding into his mind._

 _After quite a long time, Marin finally gave him a reply. "A letter from Hogwarts, you say? So Izzy_ is _one of us then." The grandmother gave a wistful sigh, confusing the young man._

" _What must be true? One of you? You know what's going on? Marin, what are you not telling me?!" He demanded to know, and the grandmother, after another pause, went into a long lecture, depicting Lucy and her family, how they were... different, to say the least. They were, in fact, part of a long line of witches and wizards. At first, the father merely thought she was joking, but after some explaining and consideration, remembering all those things Lucy had told him about the possibility of their Izzy being_ different _, he knew something like that, however ludicrous, must be true._

 _That was the start of the domino effect. Marin - or Grams, as Izzy liked to call her - was quick to sit her down and explain the situation to her. In a lot of cases where a child and the parent didn't know what was going on, she said, it was normally the headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore, or the deputy headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, that would come and help them to understand. Rather than be scared or nervous or confused like Marin and the girl's father had expected, Izzy was fascinated and filled with excitement. Not only did she now have an explanation for the strange events that seemed to occur around her, but she was also presented an opportunity for a new and exciting life._

* * *

Not long after that, Marin had said that they'd need to go and get her supplies while they still had time, and so they were standing in front of Flourish and Blotts. This was their first stop of many while on their trip, and Izzy had never been more dumbfounded in her life by what she saw before her. Books were stacked up to the rooftops, and she briefly contemplated how they didn't fall over; it must have been magic. Men, women, and children of all ages scurried to and fro in the store, despite there being nobody at the front desk. Out of vague curiosity, she quickly spared another glance towards the girl she had helped up, who seemed to be berating the accused boy.

"You did a good thing in helping her," Her grandmother said, one of her hands laid gently on Izzy's shoulder. She shied sheepishly away from the older woman, rubbing her hands together as a sign of embarrassment.

"Well, no one else was gonna do anything…" She muttered in response.

Looking back up at her father, she listened intently as her grandmother explained the currency of witches and wizards. He seemed to struggle at grasping the concept of the magic world, but he was trying his best, she knew.

After purchasing the required books, they were quick to leave, making their way over to the next shops. Along the way, she gathered items such as a cauldron and scales, more than her little arms could carry - she was thankful they had carts around. She also received her wand, though only after a multitude of trial and errors and several broken objects. It was made of pear wood and contained a dragon heartstring core, was 11 1/4 inches, and was of a slightly springy flexibility. She kept it close to her as they continued walking around, eager to hold such a powerful possession.

Finally, they approached a store by the name Magical Menagerie, a place where she could pick out an animal to take along with her to the new school.

Upon entering the store, they were greeted with the typical loud noises one might hear in an animal shop. Owls were screeching, cats meowing, and toads croaking. Not particularly being a big fan of owls, she made her way over to the cats, where a wide variety of breeds were being held in cages.

None of them particularly caught her attention, as did none of them pay much attention to her. They just stared at her with bored eyes, tail flicking occasionally. Shaking her head, she made her way over to the toads that sat in a large aquarium.

Only one seemed to catch her eye out of the bunch. It was an evergreen colored toad, perhaps a little bigger than the size of her palm. It was sitting behind the glass, staring up at her with wide eyes. Izzy instantly knew this was the pet for her, not caring whether it was a toad or a strange choice to take to school.

She ran over to where her father stood at the front of the store and tugged gently on his arm.

"I found one..." Her face broke into a wide smile and she tugged him over to the aquarium, her Grams in tow. When they stopped in front of the tank, she pointed to the frog and looked back up towards them, a pleased look on her face. They simply looked back with a quizzical expression, looking quite unsure with the little girl's decision.

"Are you sure, Izzy, dear? A toad won't be very useful, plus you would have to borrow an Owl in order to send letters." Her Grams asked, as if trying to convince Izzy to reconsider her choice, but Izzy stuck to it.

"Yes, I'm sure! His name will be Pickles..." She whispered, staring at the toad longily. Her father just gave a low chuckle, shaking his head at his daughter's strange antics.

"Might as well give up now, she won't change her mind."

"What a strange child…" Grams sighed, but went to pay for it regardless.

* * *

After finally getting all of her required supplies, Grams allowed Izzy to explore around Diagon Alley for a little while, giving her a small amount of money incase she came across something she wanted. Without her Grams or father noticing, Izzy managed to slip Pickles into her jacket pocket before she left, the toad croaking occasionally.

She wandered through the massive crowd, a seemingly endless swarm of people. She occasionally looked up to read store signs or quietly apologize to people whom she bumped into. After passing a few shops, she stopped in front a store that caught her attention. The sign read _Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop_. Being curious, she walked into the establishment, watching from the shadows as kids ran around, shrieks ringing out as they tried the different joke products lining the shelves.

"It's genius! Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks! Absolutely brilliant! Imagine what we could do with these." Izzy heard a whisper float down one of the aisles. She stealthily made her way into the aisle next to where she heard the sound, intent on eavesdropping on the seemingly mischievous conversation.

"These crazy plans are gonna be the death of you one day, Fred." Another voice sighed. Peeking through an opening in the shelves, Izzy spotted two boys huddled together, holding onto what she assumed to be the fireworks in question. To her surprise, the ginger haired boy from the bookstore was there, along with a dark-skinned boy with black, dreadlocked hair.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lee. Nothing'll go wrong."

"I can see why my parents are wary of you now." The other boy responded, though not without laughter.

It was then at what was possibly the most inconvenient of moments that Izzy felt movement from within her pocket. Pickles, it seemed, had decided that being cooped up in a pocket was just not for him; as her eyes trailed down to where he'd been held captive, she realized with a sharp exhalation of surprise that he'd managed to slip out of her pocket and was now hopping merrily underneath one of the shelves of joke items.

"H-hey! Come back here!" Izzy hissed, dropping to her knees and reaching desperately for her toad under the shelf; however, he just seemed to be out of reach. Scrambling back to her feet, she took off down the aisle and into the next one. Izzy was just about to make a grab for her new toad when the boys turned around, distracting her long enough that she managed to stumble and land in a heap of limbs at their feet. Pickles gave a deep croak before leaping onto her head.

"...That had to be the greatest entrance I have ever seen." The boy, whom she believed to be named Lee, spoke with an awestruck look on his face. Scraping together what remaining dignity she had, she grabbed hold of her toad and staggered to her feet, brushing off whatever filth was on her clothes. She felt her face heat up with embarrassment and she quickly turned to leave, but the ginger hair boy put a hand on her shoulder, thwarting her plan for a silent getaway.

"Hey, that's a little rude, falling down at our feet and not even introducing yourself." The ginger boy seemed to pout a bit, slightly disturbing the girl, but she kept quiet, holding the frog close to her. This, however, only seemed to irritate the ginger boy even more.

"Are you too good to talk to us? Is that it?"

"I don't talk to jerks." Izzy mumbled quietly. The irritated look on the boy's face was quickly replaced with confusion.

"Jerk? I've never even bloody met you before." The boy glared.

"You trampled right over that poor girl in the bookstore! And you had the audacity to laugh!" Izzy was trembling slightly, though whether it was from fear or anger, she didn't know.

"Bookstore...? I haven't been in t-!" The boy froze, a look of realization flashing on his face, before he started laughing. "That idiot. What did George get himself into now?" He shook his head.

"W-wait... So you aren't him...?" Izzy asked, becoming even more embarrassed at the idea of falsely accusing a stranger. The boy shook his head, a grin on his face.

"Nah, George is my twin. Normally I'd be by his side, but Mum decided it would be safer to keep us apart. We're quite the pranksters." He winked. "It seems we got off on the wrong foot." The boy held out his hand, almost in a treaty sort of way.

"I'm Fred. Nice to meet ya."


	3. Chapter 3 - A Family Visit

_**AN: If AP classes keep draining all of my writing energy I think I just might start screaming. -n- Sorry it's been so long again. I never have time to do anything anymore and when I do it's usually spent sleeping or trying to destress. One AP exam and one End of Course exam down, two more AP tests (one being tomorrow...) and three more EoCs to go.**_ _[cue that "In The Arms of an Angel" song here]_

 ** _Anyway, here's the next Maeva chapter! I hope you enjoy it. ;-; The next Izzy chapter's already half-written, so if we can get our butts in gear it'll maybe be out by this weekend. Chasing the Sun will hopefully get an update then, too. To anyone bothering to read our silly little story still... I love you! ; u ;_**

 ** _-Song_**

The days leading up to September 1st were among the longest and most difficult days that Maeva had ever had the displeasure of dealing with - and that was saying something, considering she'd been forced to sit through visits with the few people her father had allowed to come to the house still. It wasn't entirely unpleasant - it wasn't as though anything bad was happening, and she did enjoy the last few weeks with her father - but at times it was just… boring.

As their house was set out in the woods on the outskirts of one of the smaller wizarding communities, the most action packed events that the Hadlocks got to experience usually involved wildlife. This wasn't to say that Maeva didn't enjoy seeing the variety of animals that the forest had to offer - animals were among her favorite things - but at the present, her excitement to go to school far outweighed any of her other likes and wants. It was that typical childish enthusiasm that her father always gently reminded her to keep in check. Sometimes it got her into trouble because the decisions she made in light of it were much too rash for her own good, though she never found herself stopping for long enough to care. Scared as she might be in some situations, others just got her excitement up, and when that happened, Maeva never really could make herself stop. She felt more than ready to see what was beyond Diagon Alley, her own home, and the homes of her extended family.

There came a bright spot in her world of monotony on August 28th, when a few someones that she hadn't seen in over a year appeared out of the blue.

Around noon, a knock on the door brought their house elf, Remy, stomping angrily from the kitchen area. He was a temperamental little elf, and though he got on well with both Maeva and her father, he tended to get irritated when interrupted by anything that wasn't them. In the short distance from the room to the door, Maeva heard from her place in the living area words that were none too kind, and she found herself laughing.

"How _dare_ anyone interrupt the great Remy's lunch making proceedings…" She muttered to herself, giggling again. Out of sheer curiosity, she found her way to her feet and stepped lightly toward the archway that led to the hall, peering out around the corner; she had no idea who had come, as her father hadn't alerted her to anyone coming up to the house.

"Remy!" A warm voice greeted, not at all perturbed by the elf's grunted 'hullo.' "It's lovely to see you again! Arius owled me not long ago and asked me to come for lunch one day, and to bring the kids, and so… Here we are!"

The voice was one she knew quite well, almost as much as she knew her own. As soon as she recognized it, Maeva sped around the corner and straight for the door, the biggest smile she could manage stretching across her face - and hurting a little bit, due to her not normally smiling so wide.

"Auntie Cora!" She cried, waiting until Remy stepped to the side to almost tackle her aunt, wrapping her arms around her waist as tightly as she could. To the left stood her oldest cousin, Mirana, who grinned at her enthusiastic welcome. Beside her was Maeva's second oldest cousin, Adalia, and beside Adalia still was her youngest cousin, Obyrin. All three were already attending Hogwarts, with Mirana going into her seventh year, Adalia going into her fourth, and Obyrin into his third. She'd regarded them jealously in some small way for as long as she could remember, especially Mirana, for getting to go before she could, but she'd always loved the stories they told about it, too.

"Hullo, Maeva!" The three greeted in near perfect unison, all crowding forward to get their own hugs from their littlest cousin. She ended up being squished between them, and had to beg - while laughing and gasping for air - for them to back off so she could breathe. Her aunt scolded them a little for being so rough, stating that they should have taken turns getting hugs, but the smile on her face and the gleam in her eyes told Maeva that she wasn't all that serious.

"How's your summer been, love? Not too bad, I hope? We would have come sooner, but, well… We'll just say things came up." Cora said, and Maeva didn't miss the momentary look of _something_ pass through her expression. She couldn't pick up exactly what it was - it was there and gone too quickly - but she didn't dare ask about it, either. It was probably, as her father often put it, "big kid stuff," which she found a little odd for him to say since he was, in fact, an adult, but she didn't want to ruin whatever bit of amusement he found in that, either.

"To be honest, a little boring," Maeva admitted, waving them towards the living area where she'd come from. "The most exciting thing we've done is go to Diagon Alley a few times... Oh! I've gotta tell you about the last trip we took the-"

Her words were cut short by a sharp shattering sound, a crack followed by the angry muttering of Remy, and footsteps hurrying across the room they were heading toward. Soon enough, her father, drawn by the noise of their family's arrival, appeared from around the corner, looking flustered and a little angry with himself.

"Having a fun time, are we, Uncle Arius?" Mirana asked, taking in his disheveled appearance with a raised eyebrow.

"Very funny," He retorted, though his tone was light and joking. "I knew there was a reason you were my least favorite niece."

" _Ha_! I told you I was the favorite!" Adalia exclaimed, and Mirana, rather uncharacteristically for an almost-seventh year, stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"Girls," Their mother said sternly, and though amusement glimmered within both sets of young eyes, they stood still and quiet.

"You two both know I don't choose favorites," Arius chided them gently.

"I'm _still_ the favorite," Adalia muttered mutinously, causing them all to laugh uproariously for awhile. Maeva wasn't entirely sure why it was so funny - perhaps it was simply the feeling of being together with their extended family after not seeing them for so long - but whatever it was, she liked it. The feeling that the laughter made the house seem more alive than it had in awhile. It was just such a purely _good_ feeling that, even as her father brought the four visitors into the living area to relax and settle down some, she couldn't help but smile exuberantly when spoken to. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed attention that wasn't her father's, and it made her all the more excited for Hogwarts; there'd be so many new people to meet, new things to learn… It was almost a little overwhelming for her when she realized that.

While it was true that Maeva enjoyed the company of others, she was also easily annoyed, perhaps due to the fact that she'd been vaguely cut off from the outside world except for trips to Diagon Alley and family visits. She loved her cousins and her auntie Cora and her father, as well as the rest of their family, but she was just worried, she supposed, that being around too many people would be too much for her.

Was it dumb that she felt like that? Should she feel okay about going, and also about being around all those kids and teachers?

Looking at her cousins, she felt that it probably _was_ dumb, considering the three of them were recounting tales of all the adventures they'd already had at school, from Adalia's accident in potions where her concoction turned a strange reddish color, when it was meant to be pale blue, shortly before exploding to Obyrin's spell backfiring in Charms, wherein he'd managed to give himself bright yellow hair and purple-blotched skin. They spoke of their friends, and how wonderful they all were, and it comforted Maeva as she thought of that prospect. Friends would be there for her through anything. Friends would let her tell them her darkest secrets, and they'd still love her. Friends would protect her when she needed it, and she'd do all the same for them.

It was as her father told her of how he felt about his own friend; "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light."

Though Maeva knew he didn't get to see his friends often, she had a feeling that those words would hold true no matter the instance they were used in. She hoped she could feel the same about her own future friends.

Later, as they were all tucking into their supper, Cora glanced her way, looking perplexed.

"Are you alright, Maeva? I noticed you've been looking awfully distracted all day. Something on your mind?"

Feeling a little horrorstruck as all eyes turned to her, Maeva swallowed heavily.

"Well, I'm um…" She began, feeling quite unprepared to voice what felt like a writhing mass of jumbled feelings to her family. "It's just… I dunno… I'm a little bit afraid, you know?"

"Of what?" Mirana wondered quizzically, leaning toward her across the table. "It's not really that bad, Maeva, you'll see!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can say that easily enough, but you've been going there for almost seven years. How long have I been going? Oh yeah, a big fat total of _zero_ years. Says a whole bunch for my experience level with this stuff." She retorted, blue-gray eyes narrowed sharply. Though she _looked_ as though she might be irritated, Mirana only grinned.

"Keep that attitude up and you'll have friends in no time, kid. Promise."

Maeva snorted. "Yeah, okay, Rana, I'll be sure to act like a jerk to absolutely everyone. Anyway, it's more about like… I guess it's just the change of coming from here, where I've sorta been not around large groups of kids or adults or anything like that too much. Diagon Alley's a totally different setting from Hogwarts, you know? It's just kinda… Spooky, I guess."

"Oh, you." Mirana rolled her eyes at her younger cousin. Her gaze softened after a moment of looking at her in mock annoyance. "It's okay to be scared, Maeva. I think we all were. Excited, sure, but scared, too."

Adalia and Obyrin both nodded.

"She's right; I know I was afraid, especially of all the people, 'cause you know I'm not real good with all that stuff." Obyrin added, looking rather sheepish. "It was hard, especially when they all tried to get to know me, but I guess that's the charm of Hogwarts; it helps you become more than what you are. It helps you open up, even if you're like me."

While Cora praised her son for his wise words, Adalia giggled and muttered, loudly enough for everyone to hear, "He's actually got some friends now besides Rana and me."

"Adalia! Mirana! That is quite enough of that!" Cora scolded, while Obyrin's face fell. He began to look a little saddened.

The sisters took notice, quickly apologizing, but their brother was having none of it. A squabble broke out soon after, with Cora snapping at her children to behave. Maeva sent a sidelong glance to her father, looking back and forth between him and the others quickly. He only shrugged his shoulders, bewildered as to what to do in this situation.

Leaning toward him, she whispered, " _How_ long did you say they were staying for again? I don't know if I'll survive 'til September 1st if this keeps up."

Arius grinned devilishly at his daughter. "I never _did_ say how long. They'll be accompanying us to King's Cross."

"So does that mean…" Maeva trailed off, the realization that formed in her mind truly horrifying. He simply nodded at her, and inwardly, she groaned. This was going to be a _long_ last few days at home.

* * *

Maeva's thoughts at dinner the first night of her extended family's arrival had been correct; though she loved them, her cousins had bickered constantly, and it'd driven her nearly insane. True, there hadn't been a dull moment since Remy first opened the door, but still, she felt more than ready to get to the train and start an entirely new portion of her life.

Early on the morning of September 1st, Cora apparated back to her own home with Adalia and Obyrin in tow to retrieve their trunks of supplies. Mirana figured it her duty as the oldest of the three to stay behind with Arius and Maeva to help the younger girl get ready, and all was going well - as well as a chaotic, bustling household could manage, anyway.

"When's the train leave, anyway?" Maeva asked, checking that all of her crystal phials were safely tucked away inside of their casing for what had to be the fifth time. Her books had already been put into order the night before, no doubt due to the fact that if they hadn't been, she'd have forgotten at least one of them. She knew that because she almost _had_ missed one, which she'd left open on her bedside table. In her rush to make sure everything was going right with her trunk, her appearance had come last in the things she worried about. She was wearing a worn, faded red t-shirt and a pair of equally ratty looking jeans that were in obvious need of being replaced. Not the most witchy outfit she could manage, but she'd always preferred muggle clothing over any sort of wizarding clothing. To Maeva, it just felt more comfy. Her wand - nine and a half inches, made of maple with a phoenix feather core and a rigid flexibility - was unceremoniously shoved through the messy bun her hair had been tossed up into. Her father, as well as the rest of her family, had commented that that probably wasn't the best place for it, but Maeva had simply shrugged in reply; it was as good a place as any, and it wasn't really going anywhere, so there was no issue, in her eyes anyway. Plus, it was _her_ wand.

"Right at eleven. We've got plenty of time; don't worry." Her father hummed, voice irritatingly calm. How was he so calm? She was definitely not calm. Of course, she wasn't freaking out, but calm was something that did not come to mind in her current state. All of the checking and rechecking and rerechecking she in concerns to her trunk was due to her just wanting to make sure that it was all there. It was _not_ because she was freaking out, though Mirana said otherwise.

A loud _crack_ and the sounds of bickering in another room signified the reappearance of the rest of her family sometime around 8:30, and Maeva felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest. It was almost time to leave, then. Would things be okay when she got on the train? What would the school even be like? Would it be like she had hoped it would be? Would it still be the same place her father had described to her from his memories?

Merlin, she hoped so.


	4. Chapter 4 - Not So Alone Time

_**AN: Two chapters in one weekend. We're pretty proud of ourselves! We hope you enjoy! - Song**_

"Hurry up, Izzy, or you'll miss the train!" Grams chided Izzy, pushing the small girl forward a bit to match her seemingly inhuman grandmother speed. Izzy let out a huff of exhaustion, nearly tripping over her feet as she struggled to hold up Pickle's large tank. After a late start in the morning, they were all rushing towards the train where she would board for her trip to Hogwarts. By this time, the station was bustling, and people were shoving past one another to make it to their trains, so she stuck close to Grams and her dad's side.

"Here we are!" She skidded to a stop, causing Izzy to nearly crash into her. She looked around, seeing that Grams had stopped in front of 2 pillars labeled "9" and "10".

"But there's nothing here?" Izzy asked, quite confused.

"Izzy, dear, do you really think witches and wizards would just leave the opening to their world in plain sight for any muggle to see?" She smiled, patting the shorter girl's head. Still confused, Izzy looked towards her dad, who simply shrugged in return.

"Now, what you must do is run at that wall right there in between the two pillars. I'll be right behind you. Be sure you move out of the way so we don't run into you. It was such a pain getting here.. I much rather would have prefered to take the Floo Network, but ever since the mess up in the network connection, which caused a large group of witches and wizards to go sprawling across my living room floor covered in fair amounts of soot, it's been under repair." Grams sighed wearily, rubbing her temples. Izzy didn't quite understand what 'floo network' was, so she nodded her head as if she understood.

Izzy lined herself up with the brick pillar, eyeing it warily. It wasn't everyday that you tried to run into a possibly solid object. She looked back over at her Grams with uncertainty, who gave her a look of encouragement, while her dad flashed her a thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, she started running at the pillar, perhaps with more speed than what was necessarily needed, all while clenching her eyes shut. She braced for some sort of impact, for her Grams to laugh as she fumbled backwards onto her rear, but it never came. A brief chill wracked her body before it was quickly replaced by a wave of heat, followed by the sounds of a busy train station. Slowly, she opened her eyes, drinking in the sights around her. It was almost like the other station, but the men and women around her were dressed in strange robes, and kids scurried around pushing heavy carts that looked like her own. There was a massive black and red train resting on the tracks with the words "Hogwarts Express" lining the front. Izzy was in awe.

"Now, no time to gawk, Izzy-" Her Grams was suddenly beside her, helping to hold up her queasy looking dad. "The train will be leaving soon, and you have yet to put your trunks away, so this is where we say goodbye." She gave her a kind smile.

Izzy blinked, feeling her heart drop in her chest. This was it. She wouldn't see her family for a while after this, perhaps Christmas if they even got out for that.

"Right.." She muttered, walking up to her dad, who seemed to have composed himself from the trip, and quickly threw her arms tightly around him, desperately trying to remember everything about him. How he looked, the way he smelt, anything. She could already feel herself getting homesick and she hadn't even left. "Bye Dad. I'll see you later." She mumbled into his shirt.

"You'll be back before you know it, my _belle_." He reassured her while ruffling her hair. Izzy smiled at the use of his nickname for her and pulled away, turning to hug her Grams as well.

"I'm sure you'll do wonderful, dear, make the family proud." Grams gave a playful wink and shooed Izzy away, cart and items in tow.

Carrying Pickles' tank plus the large carts full of her supplies proved quite difficult, but she managed to do it, stuffing her trunks into the train compartment cubbies. She stuck her head out the window, and after a moment or two of searching, she caught sight of the only two family members that she had. With a grin, she gave a wave to them, and they waved back. She finally slumped down into her seat, pulling Pickles' cage onto her lap. The toad simply stared back at her, giving out an especially loud croak. Izzy let out a long sigh as she rested her head back against the seat, momentarily resting her eyes...

The compartment door slid open and a face appeared in the doorway what seemed like seconds later, looking startled at the realization that it was not, in fact, empty as the person had apparently believed. Izzy shrunk against her seat a little, frightened out of her state of rest at the appearance of someone else. After a moment, however, a vague memory flashed through Izzy's mind, and she was reminded of the day she'd spent in the wizard marketplace that her Grams had taken her to.

"Oh hey, you're the girl from Flourish and Blotts, right? You helped me up after that git of a red head knocked me down." The girl, whose long, deep reddish brown and impossibly curly hair kept falling into her face, asked curiously, though she sounded a little reserved. She certainly _looked_ as though she were holding back some amount of anxiety, though Izzy wasn't sure if it was because the girl was talking to _her_ or if it was because of the situation - the whole crowding into a train with a bunch of strangers who could probably totally turn out to be some huge weirdos situation, that is.

Izzy blinked in slight surprise, not believing that the other girl remembered her as well, or that she even wanted to talk to her. A nervous laugh bubbled from her throat and she pulled Pickles' aquarium closer to her chest, somewhat soothed by the creature's croaking.

"Haha... Yeah, that's me." She spoke quietly, avoiding eye contact as much as she could. Maybe if she remained silent, the girl would leave to search of perhaps a more lively audience, as many others had done. All it took was a quick glance inside and an awkward staredown before they closed the compartment door and went on their way. Social interaction exhausted her anyway. All she really wanted to do was stare out the train window and admire the scenery, perhaps even force down the quick rising anxiety that clenched at her stomach. This was Izzy's first time riding a train after all, and it didn't make it any easier that she didn't have her family by her side.

"The name was Isabelle, right? Do you, uh, mind if I sit here maybe? All the other compartments are filled, or they're half-empty with some kids who look like they'd be Slytherins, and I _don't_ want to sit with potential Slytherins." The girl asked, looking a bit sheepish once she realized she was rambling on nervously. Internally, Izzy groaned a bit, knowing that her plans of relaxation were thrown out the window. However, she was too nice, as well as shy, to decline.

"Sure, why not?" She didn't really think she'd have a choice anyway, so she resigned herself to tucking further into the corner of the seat. The girl entered the compartment, sliding the door shut behind her before taking the empty seat in front of Izzy.

"Did I ever introduce myself to you?" Maeva wondered aloud, casting what appeared to be a quizzical glance at the smaller girl. Izzy shook her head silently; perhaps if she didn't talk too much, this girl would get the idea that she wasn't too keen on being friendly at the moment. Fortunately, the redhead seemed to get the idea, frowning a little before turning her head toward the window. They sat in relative silence for awhile, only glancing at each other every so often when the other wasn't looking.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Maeva sat forward and opened her mouth as if to say something, catching Izzy's attention. However, before she could speak, the doors slid open again, and Izzy's vision was filled with the sight of red hair as two boys tumbled into the compartment.

"Bloody hell, Fred, be a little more gentle the next time you decide to throw us into a room." One of them snapped, while the other just chuckled as he pushed himself from the floor.

"Sorry, we needed a quick getaway after throwing some dungbombs into one of the Slytherins' compartments and I provided." He huffed.

" _WE_ didn't throw them in, you did."

"Please, you wanted to do it too for what they said about Mum."

"Eh, you're right. They _were_ gits."

By now, both girls were staring at the two with blank faces, confused out of their minds. It took a minute for the boys to finally take notice of them, and it was _awkward_ for everyone when they did. But it wasn't long before that went away and recognition flitted across each of their face.

" _YOU_!" They all happened to screech at the same time, Maeva and George pointing at each other, while Fred and Izzy did the same, but with much less animosity between them and more so out of surprise.

"What are _you_ doing here?!" Maeva's voice was high, shrill even, and she looked as though right at that particular moment would be the perfect time to shrivel up and die.

"I could ask _you_ the same question, little miss 'vanilla ice cream is better than strawberry!'"

Fred looked thoroughly amused, and though surprised at seeing Izzy, turned his eyes to her after listening to them bicker for a little while. "You're that weird toad girl from the joke shop, yeah?"

Izzy flushed a little at that, finding it offensive to be called weird, given what she'd been through before finding out about her true self. "I-I'm not weird! You're the one who was in a joke shop scheming about… about… _things!_ "

He laughed uproariously at her spluttering. " _Things_? Can't come up with anything better than that, can you?" He shook his head in mock exasperation. " _Girls_. Anyway, I was just kidding around with you, y'know? It was a joke. You know what those are, right? Jokes?"

"Of course I know what a _joke_ is, as the living incarnation happens to be standing right in front of me." Izzy spoke indignantly, sticking her nose up at the boy.

A smile suddenly split his face, nearly from ear to ear. "Oh, so she _does_ have a sense of humor! That's great! I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Izzy's eyes narrowed sharply. "I doubt that seriously. I'm not a people person." Despite her sharp comments, she felt herself shrinking back into her normal state of mind. Part of her wanted to be friendly, really, but the majority of her felt as though this entire thing was wrong. This boy - a boy she didn't even _know_ \- was being kind to her, and it was unlike anything she'd experienced. People weren't kind to her unless they were setting her up for a mean joke, and she didn't want it to happen again.

Not wanting to continue the conversation anymore - she could feel the anxiety turning her stomach into angry knots - Izzy looked toward the other girl, who was still in a heated argument with the other redhead. She felt thoroughly exasperated. She wanted her first day to be quiet. Uneventful. Spent _alone_. This wasn't what she'd pictured. This wasn't what she wanted.

As she opened her mouth to snap at the battling gingers, who were now calling each other as many variations of smelly they could think of - including 'stanky,' courtesy of George - a loud scream sounded from somewhere down the train. A cacophony of noises, ranging from outright screeches to wails, could be heard approaching their compartment like a wave. When the twins looked at each other with an excited gleam in their eyes and a laugh bubbling from their lips, Izzy felt even more uneasy.

"Cover your nose and prepare yourselves, ladies! Your day's about to get a whole lot more _stanky_!" George exclaimed, sticking his tongue out in Maeva's direction before grabbing the hem of his robes and covering his face. The girl was about to make another outraged comment when, suddenly, it hit them. Izzy instantly recoiled with a cry of utter confusion and anguish, quickly shoving Pickle's tank to the side to cover her nose. Maeva had nearly shoved her entire head into her shirt, trying to block the wave of scent.

"OH GoOD Merlin and all that is mighty, wHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT STENCH?!"

"What you are smelling now is merely a fraction of what those poor Slytherin blokes are experiencing at this very moment. This smell right here is probably equivalent to one of two dungbombs. They got _20_. They'll be smelling like that for at least a week." Fred spoke nasally as he plugged his nose, a wicked grin on his face. One could still hear the angry shouts from outside the cabin, probably trying to figure out where the awful smell was coming from.

"Why?" Maeva asked, sounding close to tears due to the scent's strength. To Izzy, it was so strong that she actually _tasted_ it, and dear God it was literally the worst thing she'd ever smelled and tasted in her life.

George shrugged. "They insulted our Mum. No one insults our Mum."

"If they do, then they get to feel the wrath of the best pranking duo this side of Europe!" Fred added, and Izzy thought Maeva was going to burst out laughing. Luckily, she contained herself - Izzy knew she would have suffered had she uncovered her nose during her laughter - and snorted at them from behind the fabric.

"I respect you for that, whatever your name is, sorry about not knowing it yet. I'd _almost_ respect you, George, but I still hate you." She said, and Izzy heard a scoff.

"How absolutely, positively _rude_ of you." George sniffed, feigning sadness. "And his name's Fred, by the way."

As they continued to bicker back and forth, the train began to slow in speed. A voice - Izzy was unsure of its origins, as there was no intercom system, and figured it had to be magic - stated that "because some miscreants had decided to stink up the _entire train_ with dungbombs, they'd need to stop the train and exit it to allow the compartments time to air out." Prefects, as well as the head boy and girl, were clearing each compartment in an orderly fashion, but kids were quick to ignore them, surging towards the exits. The twins looked back at the girls, giving a single wink before throwing open the doors and disappearing into the crowds.

The two sat there for a moment, trying to process what those two gits had done. Maeva was the first to snap back to reality, chasing after them with an angry shout. Izzy gave a quiet sigh and shook her head before tailing after the three.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, though it was only half an hour or so, they were back on the train. During this time, Maeva and Izzy quickly changed into their school uniforms. Izzy found it quite odd to be wearing robes and often fidgeted with the sleeves or the tie under her sweater.

The train ride only lasted a short time after the whole dungbomb incident before they were finally pulling into a station, marking an end to their train journey and the start of their wizarding life. Izzy noticed that students weren't retrieving their items as they left, and she stood there awkwardly with Pickle's tank in her arms, unsure what she should do with the toad. Just then, an older girl, perhaps 17, caught sight of her, and Izzy could see a badge on her uniform that identified her as something called a 'prefect'.

"First year, eh? Don't worry, you can leave him here. The workers will take good care of him." The girl gave Izzy a patient smile. "They'll bring up all luggage and such to your House when you get placed into one." Izzy gave a silent 'oh' and placed the heavy tank back into the seat, quickly thanking the girl before hurrying off to find either Maeva or the Twins, but she hoped to find the former first.

It took a few moment to track Maeva down, preceded by Izzy nearly tumbling out of the train and several rough impacts with students, but she finally trudged up next to the girl in question, pretty much out of breath.

"Firs' years, this way ter the boats!" Izzy heard a deep voice boom, and she caught sight of an extremely tall man with a ragged beard. It was enough to scare the wits out of her and she ducked behind Maeva, using the poor girl as a human body shield.

"Scared?" Maeva snorted, and Izzy sent a small glare at her before quickly composing herself.

"No! Of course not." She said with a huff, but that didn't stop her from trailing a good distance away from the giant man as he led them down a path towards a dock.

"Alrigh', three ter five people per boat!" The giant man instructed, helping students into the designated boats.

"Oi, you two!" Izzy heard a pair of familiar voices shout, and both her and Maeva turned their attentions towards the evil pair of red haired twins, who happened to already be sitting in a boat. "Hurry up, yeah? We're not gonna wait all day." One of them smirked, patting an open spot next to them.

"What makes you think we want to sit with you?" Maeva sneered, crossing her arms a bit. The twin just shrugged, giving a lazy grin.

"Oh c'mon. You love us. Plus, you know us. Why would you want to sit with some strangers?" There was a moment of silence, before Maeva finally gave in, grumbling something about good for nothing twins, Izzy didn't really mind where she sat, but she was appreciative that it was with some people that she knew.

When they were all finally situated in the boats, they were off. Izzy was given the job of holding up the lantern, which she clutched onto in slight terror; however, her amazement overrided the terror when she saw that the boats could move without any person paddling, along with the upcoming view of the mystical castle she assumed was Hogwarts. Suddenly, she felt the boat violently shake, and she clung to the side of the boat in fright.

"Stop rocking the boat." Maeva barked, glaring at the twins.

"Why? Scared of a little water?" One, who Izzy assumed to be George, teased, a mischievous glimmer in his eye as he and his twin continue to sway the boat back and forth.

"I'm going to swat both of you. Look at Izzy, you're giving the poor girl anxiety." She jerked her head over towards where the girl was clinging to the boat, looking at them with wide eyes.

"Ah, sorry about that Izzy, didn't know you were scared of boat rides." George apologized.

"I'm not scared of boats. I'm scared of whatever is in this freaking water. You can't see the bottom, it's terrifying. Plus, it's a little too chilly out for a bath right now." Izzy gave a glare at the two. They stared at each other for a moment, before the they burst out into laughter.

"Her glare is like a little puppy dog trying to be intimidating!" Fred snickered, and Izzy went back to sulking, ignoring the laughter of the duo.

Once the boats had docked, students quickly hopped out of them and were led into the castle. They were directed up a large staircase, where, at the top, they met an older lady garbed in emerald green robes and the traditional witch's hat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," She spoke with the smallest of smiles, somehow managing to look stern and welcoming all at the same time. She looked down upon the gathered students. "In just a few moments, you will cross through these doors and join your classmates. However, before you can take your seats, you must first be sorted into your Houses. These are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. During your stay at Hogwarts, your House will be like your family." The last part peaked Izzy's curiousity, but also made her quite nervous. She wasn't thrilled with the idea of having some strangers become part of her family.

"Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose these points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup. Now, the Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily." And with that, she turned with a slight swish of her robes, disappearing behind the large doors. Almost instantly, the students broke out into an excited chatter.

"Which house d'you want to be in?"

"Uh, duh! Gryffindor of course! They're the best!"

"Yeah, if you want to be brave and dumb! Gryffindors charge into everything without thinking and make everyone else's business their own, my parents say! I'd rather be in Slytherin!"

This caused a debate to break out between the students who knew about the Houses and their traits. Izzy avoided being pulled into it, as she knew little about the Houses, though Maeva and the twins both put in their two cents about wanting to be Gryffindors. Izzy thought that it would be nice to be placed with them, seeing as she knew them. If she wasn't, she hoped that the other students wouldn't be too bad.

A little while later, not long after the debate settled down, the doors reopened, and Professor McGonagall stepped through them. She motioned to the room beyond them.

"It's time for you to all be sorted. Please form a line and follow me."

Izzy took a deep breath. Looking to her right, she saw that her three sort-of friends were eagerly falling into line, and she hurried to join them. Maeva seemed a little worried, her shoulders tense, but other than that, none of them seemed too scared.

"I shouldn't be, either. I can do this, especially with their help."

As she entered what one of the other students whispered to be known as the Great Hall, she felt her resolve strengthening. No matter what happened here, her life would improve exponentially here. She was sure of it.

 ** _AN: Sassy Fred gives me life to be honest. I hope they're not too out of character. ;_; Anyway, thank you for reading, and if you liked it, please review!_**


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